A'S NOTEBOOK / Mulder pleased putting pedal to the metal

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, May 15, 2002

2002-05-15 04:00:00 PDT Boston -- OK, let's try this again. Mark Mulder's most recent closely watched bullpen session yielded what were described as great results and the left- hander is set to make his second start since coming off the disabled list last week.

This time, Mulder said, he will throw all out. Last Friday at home against Toronto, he was not working at full speed, largely because he was trying to become accustomed to pitching with a tight left forearm, but at Toronto this Friday, he will let loose.

"I wasn't sure how it would feel, so I wasn't putting 100 percent into every pitch," Mulder said. "I did today because I needed to know if I could. . . . Even though I didn't think it was in my head, it was, and now I know it's

OK."

There had been some concern that Mulder's velocity was down a good 5 mph in his 4 1/3-inning, 6-run outing last week, but while there was no radar gun for Tuesday's 45-pitch session, pitching coach Rick Peterson was satisfied with how hard Mulder was pitching.

"This is what we wanted to see," Peterson said. "Finally, all of us have peace of mind knowing he can let the ball go aggressively and feel very good. It's a night-and-day difference from every other day up until this point.

"Until you go maximum effort with your foot on the gas pedal, and know you're not going to be a crash-test dummy, this was a step that had to be taken -- and it was taken today."

Mulder said he felt the best he had since an April 6 start at Seattle. "I had late movement on my pitches," he said. "It wasn't just dead-fish fastballs down the middle."

MISCELLANY: Haverhill, Mass., native Carlos Pena left tickets for 24 friends and family members. He attended Northeastern University, just blocks from Fenway Park. . . . Triple-A Sacramento starter Allen Levrault will be seen by team doctors in Oakland this week after leaving a game with an elbow problem. . . . Because Fox Sports Net is airing tonight's Game 7 of the Sharks- Avalanche series, today's A's-Red Sox game, originally scheduled to be carried by FSN, will not be televised.